It's no wonder marketers' heads are spinning. Today's always-connected and increasingly empowered consumers place elevated expectations on every interaction they have with a brand, whether online, in-store, or on their mobile device. These heightened expectations are forcing marketers to re-evaluate their strategies, so they can deliver relevant and personalized experiences to each individual.

As a seasoned professional visual brand builder, I have been both an accomplice and observer of the unnecessary destruction of a company's visual brand identity.

Companies must understand culture, tradition and family ties, year-round.

Marketers are facing a new challenge in 2018 with the emergence of Generation Z. Born between the mid-'90s and mid-2000s, Gen Z is set to become an even larger audience than Millennials (born between the early-'80s and mid-'90s), and equally diverse, with 2.6 billion globally.

Amazon quietly acquired Twitch for $970 million in 2014 but lately people are noticing. Twitch is a popular online service for watching and streaming digital video broadcasts. Today it has expanded beyond its original gamer audience to include cooking shows, music and more.

Modelo Especial recently highlighted Hispanics' contribution to the U.S. Armed Services in an ad celebrating the service of Juan Rodriguez-Chavez. Many see this ad in the context of today's political environment, and perhaps it was intended as such. However, this 30-second vignette highlights a tradition that extends to the formative days of our country.

When it comes to sustainability, it's not always what's on the inside that counts. Green retailers' focus has moved beyond their products to the layers of paper, plastic, and Styrofoam surrounding them. In a bid to protect our planet and its people, retailers are now innovating around the cause, blending art, engineering and activism to develop packaging designed with the earth in mind. For food, makeup and beauty brands, designers have created packaging that is compact, recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, and/or can convert into other products.

April showers ended and May flowers arrived right on time with a lovely vignette effect on our social feeds. Members of Generation Z continue to prepare for summer, eager to begin their vacations and capture every moment for social. To Gen Z, summer is an opportunity to make up for missed time and celebrate life as they pursue passions and travel.

At best, marketers see the finance department as strategic allies, looking to structure the most successful plan for the business. However, all too often, marketers don't provide finance teams with the insight or the control to deliver on this promise, fearful that finance simply wants to cut budget or squeeze vendors.

As audiences celebrate the 10th anniversary of the widely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is easy to forget that Marvel came to life from pen and ink to big and small screens over a few short years.